1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for supplying water to animals such as domestic pets, and more specifically to an improvement in the type of watering apparatus in which an inverted bottle serves as a reservoir to continuously supply water and maintain a selected water level in a receptacle such as a bowl from which the animal may drink the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pet owners who are forced to leave there pets unattended for substantial periods of time have long been interested in providing their pets with watering apparatus which will have ample capacity to satisfy the pet's water requirements. Further, for hygienic reasons it is undesirable to leave a large amount of water standing in a single open reservoir. One preferred means of providing a continuous supply of water over a period of time involves the use of an inverted bottle arranged to deliver its contents of water slowly or as required into a small receptacle. Since the pet's water requirements may be kept in an appropriately sized inverted reservoir bottle, the pet can consume the water from a receptacle having a size suited for the pet and only so much water as is necessary to fill this receptacle is left out standing at any one time. Thus, the pet is not forced to drink from an oversized receptacle and some of the water remains stored in the inverted bottle.
The bottle for such apparatus will normally take the form of the readily available two-liter soft drink bottle found in most supermarkets. The receptacle from which the pet may drink can be an integrally formed cup shaped bowl portion of the watering apparatus. The bowl portion of a typical watering apparatus is integrally formed with a bottle support portion capable of receiving the mouth and neck of the upended bottle and thereby supports the bottle.
A passageway extends between the bottle support portion and the bowl portion so that the water passing out of the mouth of the bottle may move laterally into the drinking bowl. The level of the water in the bowl is constant, being determined by the height of the mouth of the bottle supplying the water. The bottle support portion is designed to support the mouth of the bottle at a level such that the water level in the bowl is below the top edge of the walls defining the bowl. Thus, additional water will flow from the bottle into the bowl only to reestablish the level as the pet consumes the water.
Examples of this type of pet waterer are disclosed in our previously issued United States patents as follows, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 296,371; Des. 316,382; Des. 365,668; and 5,488,927. Other patents of interest with respect to this general type of watering apparatus are the U.S. patents to Gardner U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,434 and Pearce U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,184. These typical devices would be most likely fabricated as an integral molded part made of plastic material since this approach permits the inexpensive fabrication of complex shapes. Although the use of a plastic molding permits the production of an inexpensive product, there are disadvantages in using plastic in a consumer product of this type. For example, particulate matter from the environment, the water or the pets themselves, whether dogs or cats, often can deposit in the bowls which over time may cause or promote the growth of molds on the surface of the dish or bowl. This tendency of unwanted materials to adhere to the surface can be compounded or worsened over time by scrapes and abrasions on the soft plastic. There has also been evidence that some pets have allergic reactions to the plastic material causing them to break out in the area around mouth. As a consequence of the consumers' dissatisfaction with plastic for pet dishes and bowls, a need is recognized for a bowl which is more sanitary and less subject to the problem noted above. Many consumers have rejected plastic water bowls in favor of ceramic bowls, stainless steel bowls or disposable insertable bowls.
A pet feeder including stainless steel bowls is disclosed in the Jones U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,898, and examples of patents directed to disposable food dishes or liners are the U.S. patents to Walker U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,374 and Budd U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,845.
There have been attempts in the past to make spill resistant bowls that have means provided to minimize the spillage or splashing which might occur when a large animal is drinking from the bowl. The patent to Lorenzana U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,182 includes a funnel shaped extension outwardly from the water-containing bowl with one or more water supply bottles mounted within the funnel area. The patent to Pelsor U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,670 provides a bowl of increased capacity through the use of two chambers defined by two nested containers which are in fluid communication but are well spaced from each other to allow the water contained in each chamber to be contained against spilling if the apparatus is tilted.
There are, however, no examples of pet watering apparatus of the type using the inverted water bottle reservoir which are adapted to utilize stainless steel bowls or bowls of other materials less subject to sanitation or allergy problems than plastic.